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Friday, 30 December 2016

Russ Tamblyn born 30 December 1934

Russell Irving "Russ" Tamblyn (born December
30, 1934) is an American film and television actor and dancer, who is best
known for his performance in the title role of the 1958 Tom Thumb and the 1961
movie musical West Side Story as Riff, the leader of the Jets gang. He is also
known for appearing in such films as Seven

Brides For Seven Brothers, The War
of the Gargantuas, Peyton Place and The Haunting, as well as for his portrayal
of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in the television drama Twin Peaks.

Tamblyn was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of
actors Sally Aileen (Triplett) (1912-1995) and Eddie Tamblyn (Edward Francis
Tamblyn) (1908-1957). He is the older brother of Larry Tamblyn, organist for
the 1960s band The Standells.

He was discovered at age 10 by Lloyd Bridges, who cast
him in a play he was directing. In his first film, three years later, he played
a friend of The Boy with Green Hair, Dean Stockwell. In his first starring
role, he played The Kid from Cleveland, a runaway who becomes batboy for the
1948 Cleveland Indians. He was the boy
with an unhealthy fascination with guns in the original Gun Crazy, and
Elizabeth Taylor's kid brother in the original Father of the Bride. His
training as a gymnast in high school and abilities as an acrobat prepared him
for his breakout role as Gideon, the youngest brother, in 1954's Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers.

He appeared with Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford in The
Fastest Gun Alive (1956), where he performed an extraordinary
"shovel" dance at a hoe-down early in the film. Though uncredited, he
served as a choreographer for Elvis Presley in 1957's Jailhouse Rock. Tamblyn
portrayed Norman Page in the 1957 film of Peyton Place, for which he was
nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Tamblyn then played
Tony Baker in 1958's High School Confidential prior to his being drafted into
the United States Army.

His performances in film musicals have included the title
role in 1958's Tom Thumb and Danny, one of the sailors in the 1955 film version
of Hit the Deck. His most famous musical role was Riff, the leader of the Jets
in West Side Story (1961).

He was Oscar-nominated for the steamy-for-the-50s Peyton
Place, playing the boy wrongly accused of skinny-dipping with Lana Turner's
daughter. In The Haunting, Tamblyn's character inherits the haunted mansion,
and cynically dismisses all talk of ghosts. He also starred in one of the
all-time great cheesy Japanese science fiction films from the legendary Toho
Studios, titled The War of the Gargantuas in its American release.

By then, Russ decided to be more of an artist than just
another actor. He fired his agent, took up painting, and began accepting only
the roles that interested him. Among his best work from that time, he co-wrote
and starred in an anti-nuke musical, Human Highway. He worked with the dancers
on the series Fame, and appeared in a few episodes playing "Russ, the
choreographer". He played Dr Jacoby on Twin Peaks, and later took the same
character to General Hospital in 1997 dancing with his daughter Amber during
the Nurses Ball.

Tamblyn has also appeared in television series such as
Tarzan, Fame (the 1980s television spin-off of the film of the same name),
Quantum Leap, Nash Bridges and in Babylon 5 (episode "A Distant
Star"). Russ Tamblyn also played Chuck Margaret on The Increasingly Poor
Decisions of Todd Margaret.

The actor’s last co-starring roles were shot overseas
with the British-produced chiller “The Haunting” with Julie Harris and Claire
Bloom. “I loved working with Harris and Claire, they were powerful actors who
knew exactly how to make a character real and sometimes terrifying.I watched in awe whenever they were in front
of the camera.”

As so many other actors of his era he has taken on
choreographic duties and managing his actress/daughter Amber Tamblyn who is
recognized for her performance in “Joan of Arcadia.”“I have no complaints,” he said. “I was lucky
as hell to be given the chances I go and I’m still around to talk about it. And
yes, I still miss all those guys who made Westside Story magic time!”

Russ underwent open heart surgery in October 2014. There
were complications following the surgery and during the rehabilitation, although
his health had reportedly improved as of February 2015.

About Me

I just love nostalgia, especially music from the 1920's to the 1960's.
I also present a radio show "Gems From The Vaults" on Angel Radio.
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